Meet the Family
by Shunkaku Bu
Summary: The continuation of "17 & what?"
1. chapter 1

Chapter 1: Family

They were standoffish with each other for the next month. Rogue had finally been able to graduate and was preparing to start some college courses. Remy, on the other hand, was trying to get Reñe to say 'daddy' as his first word.

The boy giggled at his father's attempts to get him to speak. Before he was put to bed at night, Rogue had taken to telling him stories softly as he laid beside her. She would watch him for a while after he fell asleep before placing him in his crib. He slept through the night once she began that ritual.

A few weeks later Remy awoke to hear his son babbling in his crib. When he tried to get up he found that Rogue was asleep with her arms wrapped around him. *Sorry son, but your mama needs me a little more right now.* Reñe continued his talking as he tightened his grip on Rogue. "Chere."

"Be quiet, cajun."

"Aw, I love it when you sweet talk."

"Shut up." However she didn't move or open her eyes.

"This mean we gonna give it a shot?"

"If ya stop with your incessant questions, cajun."

"Kay-joon."

Rogue shook with laughter. "Cajun."

"Kay-jun." The baby repeated himself between fits of giggles.

"Nice job, chere."

She kissed him gently. "Don't be mad."

Remy smiled at her. "Chere, I want you ta meet the whole family."

"When?"

"Soon as possible."

"What could possibly go wrong?"

When Remy and Rogue informed the Professor that they were heading to Louisiana, Logan was against it. The two men got into a heated argument. Rogue, exasperated at them, finally suggested that Logan be their chaperone.

"Chere!"

"Enough with the testosterone. Ah want Reñe to know his family, but not if it's gonna be a full war with y'all. So, we goin' or not?"

Gambit nodded reluctantly. "I'll make the call."

"Logan?"

"Yeah. Just be ready in the morning."

Tension filled the car as they traveled south. Logan was the main driver, relinquishing his position only after requiring them to stop after nightfall. Rogue checked them into the hotel. Much to Logan and Remy's surprise she expected the men to share a room.

"You think daddy and uncle Logan are gettin' along?" The baby shook his head. Rogue saw that he would need a haircut soon. She brushed the reddish bangs off his face. "You're gettin' to look more like your daddy everyday."

"Cajun," he murmured sleepily.

"Okay, time for bed. You want a story?"

"Cajun!"

After a few minutes she caved and texted Remy. *Reñe wants you.* It wasn't long until he knocked on the door. She was surprised at the tightness in her belly when she saw him. "Thanks, sugah. He's being insistent." He made a small sound of approval as he came inside and went to his son. "Ah'll let you two be." She spent her time in the shower, trying to give them privacy as well as cooling herself down. *Damn, he walks around our room half-naked all the time. Why do ah wanna jump him now?* No clear answer came to her.

"Chere?"

"Just a second." After hastily wrapping herself in a towel she emerged from the bathroom. "Thanks."

"No need. He's mine too." Remy kissed her cheek. "Night, chere."

As he moved to go she grabbed his arm. "Ah want you to stay."

"Anna you don't-"

"Remy, you talk too much." She kissed him deeply as she pulled him towards the bed.Rogue broke away for a moment and handed Remy a small foil packet.

"You ready for this?"

"Yeah. Now put that on. Ah ain't ready for another baby yet."

He laughed and pulled her down. Rogue took in the full view of his body as he put the condom on. She had expected some resistance to it, but was pleased he hadn't. "Anna," he sighed as he moved above her. "Say it."

"Ah want you, Remy." Anna wanted to scream when he pushed into her, but his lips were already covering hers. It was a half an hour later when they heard a knock on the door. Remy went over and a piece of paper was slid inside. "Remy?" He held it up so she could read the message: keep him.

"Guess I get to stay here."

"Get over here, cajun. It's getting cold." She patted the empty side of the bed.

"Warmth ain't what you're looking for." He moved next to her, kissing her deeply as he pulled her close. "Guess we making a real go of dis, huh?"

"Yeah, but there's some things ah need you to tell me about."

"Like you can just about-"

"No, cajun. Our wedding date, Reñe's birthday, other things ah don't really remember since there's still a split in the memories. But first…"

"Damn, chere, ain't this-"

"No talk."

The next morning Rogue groaned as she woke. "Um, Remy, you gotta get up."

"Naw, chere. Just stay here."

"We both gotta shower, ah gotta get your clothes, get Reñe ready-"

"Relax. I'll get our boy ready." He kissed her lightly. "Go shower."

"Okay. Thanks, sugah." After a brief shower, she dressed and left Remy to take care of Reñe. It wasn't a surprise when Logan opened the door before she knocked. "Morning, Logan."

"Here for the cajun's things?" She nodded, blushing profusely. "Yeah, it ain't like you two have never had sex before. You happy?"

"Yes. Ah think maybe this was what ah needed. Though it shouldn't have been so fast." She grabbed Remy's knapsack. "Thanks for not lecturing me."

"Go get ready. We're going soon."

"Got it. We'll be ready in thirty." Anna gave a little wave as she left.

Rogue and Wolverine thought it would be best if they didn't show up right away. Remy did, however, convinced them to let him take Reñe with him. They stayed at her little apartment.

Remy covered up the boy asleep on his shoulder. The baby gurgled in his sleep and his father patted his back. As he entered his family home he was shocked to see several Assassins there. "Pere."

"Remy, my boy, welcome back."

"Huh, I see your so-called bride ain't here. You already sick of de chil', thief?" Belle asked with a snort. "Bet even de petit is jus' a way to get you-"

"Don't say another word, Belle. Ain't gonna let you talk 'bout ma femme et mon fils dat way."

"Remy," Jean-Luc said softly, "you sure he yours?"

He swore profusely as he shifted the boy in his arms. Reñe buried his face in his father chest, not wanting to be fully awakened. "C'mon, petit. Open dose eyes." The boy grudgingly complied though he kept his head on Remy's chest. Most of them gasped at Reñe's fiery orbs. "Happy now?"

"Why ain't his maman here?"

"Dis between me an' my family. Dere ain't nothing y'all need ta be here for. Pere?"

Rogue paced the small apartment, much to Logan's annoyance. "Kid, that ain't gonna bring 'em back any sooner."

"Ah know." She flopped on the bed face first, groaning. "Ah want to know if they're alright. How in the hell did ah get so attached to those two?"

"It happens." She lifted her head, glaring at him. "You want cliché answers you talk to someone else."

"Ah'm glad you came...it would've been awful waiting alone."

"Yeah, well that ain't the only reason I'm here. I don't trust that everything is just gonna work out." She nodded and buried her head in the pillow, trying to calm herself.

When Remy returned, it was clear things didn't go well. Reñe was fussier than normal and it took nearly an hour just to feed him. Mother and child ended up needing a shower, allowing the men to talk.

"Bad news?"

"Yeah. Could be dis whole thing was a mistake."

Logan grunted. "Trouble?" The Cajun gave a slight nod. "They don't like her?"

"Not that simple. I was 'engaged' when I was young and that was supposed to be that."

"But that didn't happen."

Remy shook his head. "Things happen. Powers, fighting, new people…"

"Right. Is the boy gonna be in as much danger as his mom?"

"Dey know he's mine, so he's safe. Ç'est toujours la même merde. (It's always the same shit)." Logan nodded in agreement.

Meeting Remy's family was more difficult than she'd imagined. The party was supposed to last several hours which meant leaving Reñe in Logan's care. She was hesitant to do that, but both men agreed it was the best thing for everyone.

Even worse, they had to arrive early to get Rogue into some proper clothes. She wanted to protest, but Mercy didn't give her a chance. Remy slipped into his old room, donning a suitable tux for the evening. As he waited, he realized how much he missed his and Rogue's little rituals.

However, he was taken aback. Mercy had tightly braided her hair, mixing both colors with thin strips of gold ribbons. The dress had a black corset top laced and accented with gold ribbons and a full skirt in layers of black. "Mon coquin…"

"You always liked pretty, shiny things haven't you Remy?"

"Ah'm not a thing."

He went over to her and gently kissed her cheek. "Non, chere, not a thing, just an incredibly beautiful woman." Remy smiled at his sister-in-law. "Think you missed your callin', Merc."

"Ha! Get down there or trouble's gonna start."

Three hours later Rogue had a major headache and could only remember a handful of his relatives' names. The crowd had thinned a bit and she wondered if anyone would really notice if she slipped away. As if reading her mind he grabbed her hand, pulling her towards a darkened hallway.

"Remy, where-"

"Sh." He led Rogue up a flight of stairs and back to his room. "You wanna head back?"

"No. It's late. 'Sides, Mercy has mah clothes."

"Shame," he murmured. Remy leaned in for a kiss, but she stepped away. "Chere?"

"Are they gonna come look for us? Ah don't wanna be in a...compromising position."

"Don't worry. Ain't nobody gonna bother us tonight." However, he slid a dresser in front of the door, seeing her nod in approval. They kissed again, slowly as they made their way to his bed. Remy fumbled with the front of her dress, finally ripping it apart in frustration and impatience.

"You an' ah owe Mercy a new dress," she murmured against his throat. His only response was quickly removing the end of his clothes.

They made love several times that night with brief naps to replenish their energy. When they were finally too exhausted to move it was close to dawn. Remy watched her sleep for a while before he finally dozed off.

The rest of the visit was uneventful. Reñe was adored by his paternal relatives and made a fuss when it was time to leave. They promised to return in a few months, a more planned trip than this had been.


	2. Chapter 2: Trouble

Chapter 2: Trouble

Two months later…

Rogue had spent most of the day studying at the library. However, when a severe wave of nausea overcame her she immediately went to a doctor. A urine test showed a weak positive and Rogue had blood drawn to confirm the results. Rogue slowly made her way towards the mansion.

She stopped for a few minutes and then pulled out her cell phone. After a few rings she heard, "Hallo kleine Schwester."

"Hi Kurt. What's up?"

"That's not why you called. You sound upset."

"Just a little tired. What are you doing tonight? Got a hot date?"

"Now, you know that's not happening for a while. Do I sense a favor concerning meine Lieblings Neffe?"

"Could you watch him tonight? Ah know it's last minute, but-"

"No problem. Get some rest, okay? You sound-"

Rogue let out a scream as a bottle shattered across her head. Blood trickled into her eyes as she heard Kurt's frantic voice on the other end of the line. She looked up and things went black.

Kurt immediately got Kitty to trace Rogue's phone and Logan went after her. Through all of this he kept trying to get in touch with Remy. He finally gave up normal means and went to Professor Xavier to contact him. Disturbed by the sudden contact he rushed back to the school.

Reñe was in his crib, fussing as Kurt told him what happened. Remy wanted to immediately go after her, but the professor got him to stay for his son's sake. He was a little relieved when he learned Logan was looking for her.

She opened her eyes to harsh fluorescent lights. Rogue tried to move, but found she had a rope around her neck and tied to a pole. "What do you want?"

"You know wha' I want, thief. You dead."

"Belle, ah ain't done nothing to you. Remy didn't want to marry you, it's just that. You don't have to-" She received a slap across her face, the leather leaving a red mark and stinging.

"Keep yo' mouth shut. You ain't never gonna see another day." The blonde injected her and untied her hands. "Bring 'er over. We need to get dis done."

A man wheeled over a gurney with an older blonde woman strapped down with heavy chains. Belle took Rogue's left hand and attached it to the woman's. "Stop it," Rogue said weakly.

"You sure dis gon' work?" The man nodded and handed her a second syringe.

Rogue felt a burning when the fluid entered her blood. She tried to move away from the inert woman when the tell-tale pull of her power. *Oh god! No, no, NO!* She struggled to break contact with- *Carol...Ms. Marvel.* Rogue suddenly went still. Her mind was trying to shut down, to protect itself from the overload.

"She dead?" He put a stethoscope to Carol's chest and nodded. "Get her out of the way. I want to enjoy dis." Belle grabbed a small device and leaned close to Rogue. "You a thief of biblical proportion, chienne. Now you pay an' de boy be mine." She kicked the box out from under her and heard the snap of her neck. After a few minutes Belle activated the laser in her hand, using it to deftly remove Rogue's left hand. Belle departed with the hand, not caring who found the two women.

Logan was hit with the thick scent of her blood and rushed into the warehouse. He saw two blonde women, one on a gurney and the other in a pool of blood. She slowly pulled herself forward and he saw where the blood was coming from. "Rogue!" She looked up with glassy eyes and then collapsed.

The atmosphere in the mansion was tense. Reñe had finally gotten to sleep with Storm's calming nature and willingness to stay with him. Remy had been passing the time in the Danger Room to keep from accidentally destroying anything else with his powers.

It was nearly midnight when he showered and went to see if there was any news. The professor looked dour, concentrating hard. A glimmer of hope reinvigorated him and it took everything for him not to burst in on the professor. Suddenly Xavier looked down and rubbed his temples. "Come in, Remy."

"Was dat Logan?" The elder man nodded. "Did he find her?"

"Yes. Remy, you need to sit."

"Tell me where she is. I need to go-"

"He was too late." All the strength left Remy's legs and he slumped to the floor.


	3. Chapter 3: Rebuilding-Remy

Sorry for the delay. Writer's block and a horrible March was why. Enjoy.

Chapter 3: Rebuilding-Remy

New York…

Remy had barely slept since the Professor had told him about Anna's death. Reñe knew something was wrong and began toddling around the mansion crying for his mom. The boy became increasingly fussy, not allowing anyone to comfort him. Finally Storm had intervened, helping Remy explain to the boy about his mother. Now, Reñe would only sleep against his father's chest dressed in an old shirt of his mother's.

Though there was a funeral, her husband refused to go. Partially because what made her Anna was gone and he had learned that morning that she had been pregnant when she'd died. Kurt had taken Reñe to say goodbye to his mom. Remy vented all his emotions in a near-fatal Danger Room session.

Reñe was brought to him in the medlab for the night. He didn't cuddle against him like usual. "What's wrong, mon fils?"

"Cajun leave too? Like maman?"

"Non. I won't leave you. Come here." He held Reñe close, looking into his eyes. "Rest easy, okay? As long as I can, I'll take care of you."

"Je t'aime, Cajun." He sighed and cuddled against his dad. Remy ran his hand through the boy's hair until they were both asleep.

Six months later…

"Non, pere. This isn't right. It's just too soon."

"The guilds are still willing to unify if you two marry. Dey'll even accept Reñe as an heir."

"Dat ain't my concern. He's got nothing to do with dis; I don't love Belle."

"You did once, you can again. Think about it."

"Fine." He felt worn-out by the constant pulling of 'family obligations'. When he hung up the phone he wasn't surprised to see his son there. "You okay, petit?"

"Miss Cajun...miss maman too."

"I know. C'mere." He leaned down and picked up the toddler. "You know I want you to be happy, right?" Reñe nodded. "How'd you feel about going to stay wit' my family?"

"Okay."

"We'll go down soon. Now, let's get you cleaned up." With Reñe safely in bed, Remy went down to the medlab to talk to Hank.

After a few more months Remy finally moved back home. His first few days he spent in the apartment Rogue had lived in. They packed up the few things of hers that were still. During this he lost track time and his toddler son.

Reñe had napped for awhile, but was bored upon waking up. After a few futile attempts to get his father's attention, Reñe slid off of the bed to explore. Nothing kept his focus until he reached the closet off the living room. The door had a partial boot print caused by Rogue's constant use. He crawled into the small room, playing with the odds and ends that were left behind. He soon grew tired of his games, but before he left Reñe noticed a jacket hanging above his head. As he grabbed a sleeve, pulling himself up until the hangar broke. Reñe fell heavily and crashed through the floor. Trapped in a hole, in a jacket, the toddler began to wail.

"Merde, où es-tu?" (Shit, where are you?) Remy found his son in the closet and scooped him up. "You alright, petit? You hurt?" He moved the jacket from Reñe's head and searched his face. "What happened?"

"Grab coat and fell."

"It's alright." He carried his son to the sofa and said gently, "Stay put." Remy returned to the closet, switching on the light to see where the toddler had gone through. A glint of light from something under the broken floor. He cleared away the debris and revealed a metal container the size of a shoe box. *What th' hell were ya hiding, chere?*

"Cajun?"

"Comin'."

After a brief discussion with the landlord (plus five years of double rent to keep the name the same) Remy and Reñe returned to the family home. The toddler immediately ran into Tante Mattie's arms and she nodded to his father.

Leaving the boy in good hands, Remy went to see his cousin. "How ya doin'? Busy?"

"What is it? It's been pretty slow since yer gonna marry Belle." Remy grunted and slid the box over to him. Lapin whistled at the disks. "Very old school, n'est-ce pas?"

"Yeah...can you check 'em out?"

"No problem. Lookin' for anything in particular?"

"Me, Reñe...Anna. Anything that seems important. No hurry."

"Got it." *This is gonna be fun.*

The marriage took place exactly one year after Anna's death. Reñe couldn't keep himself from bursting into tears every few minutes, so he ended up staying in Tante Mattie's care. The ceremony was a small affair, less than what Belle wanted.

After a brief honeymoon, Remy went back to his old ways. His days were mostly spent teaching Reñe, a quick learner with tiny dexterous hands. Though he did well with his father's lessons, he had more of an affinity towards the things he learned from his tante.

Belle was adamant about them being a family. She and Reñe disliked each other intensely, though the boy hid it better. Belle attempted, in her own way, to be a decent stepmother. However, she saw too much of Anna in him, too much for her to compete with. It was her immediate goal to get pregnant as soon as possible.

Three years later…

Remy just finished packing his and Reñe's things when Belle walked into the room. "Where do you think you're goin'? You ain't thinkin' about leaving now dat you got another son."

"Belle, cut the act."

"What act?"

He sighed and turned to face her. "I know that Jules ain't mine. I got the results last week. Now just sign those papers an' we never gotta see each other again." Remy threw two envelopes on the bed. "Don't fight it, Belle. It'll just make you look worse."

"You ain't gettin' anythin' from me. Jules is yours-"

"I can't have kids anymore. I made sure of that. Now get out of the way."

"Wait, Remy, we can work somethin' out...we can-"

"Stay away from me and my son, forever."

After getting an update from Lapin, no news, he headed back to Xavier's. Reñe was more relaxed than he'd been in the last few years. He hoped that his son would finally have a semi-normal life.

Upon his return to the school he began teaching agility to the younger students and some of the older students some of his less than legal skills.

Reñe was flourishing back at the Institute although he was a decade younger than the next youngest student. When his father was teaching he spent his time split between Storm and Beast. Storm was surprised at how careful he was with the flora and gave him some space to start his own garden. When with Hank he quietly watched, making a mental note of the proper terms and tools to use in experiments. Only once in a great while he would ask a question, usually very unexpected and well beyond his age.

Remy returned to the room he shared with his son, finding the boy reading a thick hand-bound book. "Hey, what you got dere, petit?"

"Tante Mattie tol' me ta study. Said ah had a natural app...app…" He frowned and sighed. "Ah'm good at it. Can't understand all the words though, pere."

He pulled the boy to his side, tousling his hair. Remy missed his son calling him 'cajun', something he stopped doing after Belle announced their marriage plans. "Here, lemme see." So after everyone else had retired from the evening, father and son would spend quality time bonding in their own way.

It was one night when a mission that required Gambit's special skills, thus missing their nightly ritual, that turned their lives upside down.


	4. Chapter 4: Rebuilding-Anna

Author's Note: I suffered a major bout of writer's block. Thanks for your patience.

Chapter 4: Rebuilding-Anna

Canada…

Logan had called in some big favors before contacting the Professor. The woman in the warehouse had been altered to resemble Rogue and he had been able to get the real girl to a safe house across the border. Logan touched her for a few seconds every ten minutes, giving her brief boosts from his healing. By the next morning she was still weak, but stable enough to take to a trusted doctor.

Rogue was in a small hospital that was very empty. She heard two men talking quietly in the hallway, but couldn't tell what the conversation was about. *Shit, where am ah?* As she took in her surroundings through tufts of blonde hair she saw that she was missing a hand. After a few minutes of staring at the bandaged stump she realized she wasn't in pain and attempted to get up. The IV tripped her up and she tumbled to the floor. "Shit!"

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Ah'm fine. Ah just tripped. Where am ah? Who are you?" She hesitated as the shorter man helped her up. "Who am ah?"

The men exchanged a look. Logan had hoped that the incident back in the States hadn't messed with her mind, but had prepared for it. "You're Carol-Ann Howlett and you were in an accident. Do you remember anything?"

She slowly shook her head. "Ah'm nineteen...ah know how to do things, they're in mah head, but how they got there is kinda...fuzzy."

"Probably a combination of the trauma and her powers."

"Powers?"

"We're all mutants. You can absorb memories and abilities from other people." Terror filled her eyes until Logan touched her bare arm. "You can control it."

"Are you...who are you to me?"

"Your father." He looked at the doctor again and the larger man nodded. "When we get back home, we also have to get ready for the baby."

She had relaxed once she felt she was amongst people who cared for her. Now Carol-Ann felt her body tense."Is that why ah'm not getting painkillers? Ah'm not gonna lose mah baby am ah?"

"Your baby's fine. As long as we keep an eye on the both of you there's no reason for things to progress normally. Now, you need to rest."

"Alright."

Logan had hoped that her physical appearance would return to normal. However, with the exception of her left eye, she retained Carol's blonde hair, a blue eye, and powers.

The two spent the next month completing an addition for her and the baby. It became immediately clear that she couldn't quite control her new abilities, which became yet another concern for the baby.

Things progressed well until her sixth month when she went into labor. It was thankfully stopped and they found out that the baby was a girl. Carol-Ann was given strict guidelines to follow in order to bring her baby to term.

At the beginning of her eighth month she was put on bedrest. Most of her time was spent trying to decide on a name for her daughter. She and Logan were still arguing about the baby's name when they went to her next appointment. The baby was developing fine and she needed to continue her bedrest. As they walked out of the hospital her water broke. By the end of the day Carol-Ann had delivered a six pound, ten ounce daughter with a light dusting of white hair.

Logan went to see her the next morning. Though a bit tired, Carol-Ann looked extremely happy with the small girl on her chest. "Hey, you wanna hold her?"

"She's awake?"

"Yeah." She lifted the baby and said, "You wanna see your grandpa, Minty?"

"Minty?" He looked at the baby in his arms. "What kinda name is that?"

"It's short for Ariaminta. The lady who was here before was gonna name her baby that, but she had a boy. She seems to like it."

"Yeah." He immediately began comparing Minty to Reñe. *She's definitely quieter...and looks almost nothing like her dad.*

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, she looks a lot like you. You ready for this?"

"Ah think so. She's gonna be just fine."

By the time she was a week old, Minty's hair had darkened to a bright red and her eyes were the color of emeralds. She was truly her mother's daughter.

It was only a few years before Minty started to show signs of being a mutant. First it was just small things not being where they had been. Then things started to fall when no one was nearby or in the room. Logan and Carol-Ann were relieved to find out it was Minty's doing after walking in to find her giggling as some of her stuffed animals floated above her.

"She's telekinetic."

"Is it a bad thing? Ah mean will she be able to…" She stopped, unsure of what to think. "She just turned two. Is it normal for her to be so controlled?"

"Everyone's different. There's a place she can go when she's a little older. Besides, she's just havin' fun."

"Okay."

Minty finally realized there was someone else in the room and her toys fell. "Uh-oh."

"It's alright Minty." She picked up the girl, hugging her tightly. "Let's get you ready. Mama's got to go to the doctor."

"Mama sick?"

"Nope, just an exam. No worries, okay?" The little girl didn't look convinced, but nodded.

Over the next year and a half, Carol-Ann had several surgeries and fittings for prosthetics, all ending in rejection. She decided that living with one hand missing was doable.

Minty began getting terrible headaches after her fifth birthday, spending most of her time crying or buried in her bed. The doctors could find nothing wrong with her, mainly having to sedate her once she arrived.

It wasn't long after that they received two calls that changed their lives. The first was from Charles Xavier, who had noticed the spike in Minty's powers.

"This is unexpected," Charles stated. He listened quietly as Logan explained what had passed these last few years. "Rogue's been alive this whole time?"

"Yeah. I thought she'd remember who she was, but she hasn't. The girl's hers."

"I understand your desire to protect her after that traumatic experience, but her husband and son have been mourning her this entire time. He has a right to know that both of them are all right."

"Yeah. Now's the best time to get things settled. Minty's losing control. We'll be down in a few days."

"It was good to hear good news. We'll be expecting you.'

As they were packing to head down to the Institute another call came in. Dr. Moira MacTaggert had learned through research about the trouble Carol-Ann had been through in regards to her missing hand. Her call was to see if she was willing to be a subject in her study of cellular regeneration. After a brief discussion, she sat down deep in thought.

Minty was the first to speak up. "Can your hand get fixed?"

"Maybe." She pulled her daughter to her. "But you have something more serious going on."

Minty shook her head stubbornly, her red pigtails bouncing on her shoulders. "Mama and Minty get help. Minty will be okay with Papa," she stated firmly.

"What do you think?"

"It's up to you. Me and the kid will be fine. This could be a new start for you two."

Carol-Ann smiled and hugged her daughter. "Well then ah guess we have a lot to do."

"Yep."

They went their separate ways two days later. After an early morning farewell, Carol-Ann was off to Muir Island. Logan and Minty's trip would be just as long, but by car. This let the girl have a reasonably stress-free trip. Things were fine until they got close to the Institute Minty became more agitated. A smaller dose of her medication calmed her down, making her hazy but coherent enough to meet the Professor.


	5. Chapter 5: Truth

Chapter 5: Truth

Minty sat in front of the Professor, her eyes half closed. Logan was a growing impatient with their stillness and was about to make his feelings known when the girl tipped her head. "Quiet. I don't hear in here."

"That should work fine for now. We'll have to work on more control in the future, but now we should get you settled."

Logan lifted the girl. "He still in the same room?"

"Yes. He's excited to have a friend close to his age."

"Okay," she said hesitantly. Minty rubbed her eyes, both physically and mentally exhausted.

"It's fine." He stroked her hair as they made their way to the room.

Reñe and Minty got along the instant they met. They bonded over their knowledge of French and the fact that they were only children with single parents. They were also jealous about not having the others' parent.

Reñe woke up late one night and went into the small closet to look at his mother's pictures. He was so absorbed that he didn't notice when Minty sat next to him. "Your mama?"

"Yeah."

"She's pretty."

"She died." He closed the book and hugged her. "C'mon, we better go ta sleep or we'll get in trouble." After returning to their bunk beds, Reñe fell asleep right away. Minty was wandering about her daddy and why Reñe's mommy looked familiar.

New Orleans…

"It's 'bout time. What've ya got?"

"Well if you're gonna be dat way, ya can wade through dis yo'self." As Lapin was about to close the program an extremely irate Remy began threatening a random group of equipment. "Alright, alright! Dis ain't worth dat!"

"Just tell me what you found."

After a few seconds of muttering to himself, Lapin read, "Okay: 'The deadly flower tries to strangle the blossoming mint, yet will bloom anew in its fifth year. Truths revealed reunite some, break others, and revenge comes at a steep price.' You understand any of dat?"

"Not at all. What's th' mark for?"

Lapin sighed. "It's a notation...says 'likely not literally plants, more likely a person.' Got a few exes ah'd call-"

"Shit." Remy slammed his hand down flat. "Didn't think dat Bel woulda done... keep in touch."

"Wait! What about-" He threw up his hands as the door slammed. "Homme fou."

Though his first inclination was to find Belladonna, Remy decided it was best to get his son first. It didn't hurt that there was at least one high-level telepath in residence at all times. It was two days before he arrived at the Institute. He just as easily could have walked in the front door, but it was more interesting to sneak in. After a few minutes he was in his son's room. "Réveillez-vous, petit." Remy brushed Reñe's bangs away from his eyes.

"Papa?"

"Yeah."

"We goin' back now?" Remy shook his head and Reñe propped himself up. "Logan's back. His granddaughter's up there. Her name's Minty."

Remy felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. "Minty?" The boy nodded, then suddenly looked worried. "It's okay, Reñe. Just a bit tired. Close dem eyes." He ruffled the boy's hair until he was sure he was asleep.

After a few minutes he stood to look at the girl. The moonlight made her look pale, but her appearance left no doubt in his mind. It looked as if Anna had been turned into a child, but with all her past memories. She was her mother's daughter, down to the scowl on her face. Remy stroked her soft hair, then remembered what his son had said. Logan's back. His granddaughter's up there. Her name's Minty.

Rage filled Remy, so intense that it woke Minty before he left the room. She was still hazy from sleep, but murmured, "Who's dat?" Getting no response, she fell back to sleep quickly.

Logan heard the footsteps just a moment before the door burst open. "Logan!" Blows were exchanged in the dark, neither man gaining the upper hand. Things continued this way until Logan's claws came out. With that, Gambit lit up the room as he charged the claws. "Where is she?"

"Not here. She's-"

"An' dat fille? You were gonna jus' keep dem both from me an' Reñe? For how long?"

Before Logan could answer the two men were pinned on opposite walls and the light came on. A few of the adults were there alongside Xavier, but the youngest two residents had found their way to the disturbance. Storm attempted to get them back to bed. "Why dey fightin'?" Reñe demanded.

"I do not know. Please go back to bed."

Minty shook her head defiantly and took Reñe's hand. "He's mah daddy? But who's Anna?"

"Now is not the time to get into this. By morning, things will be sorted out."

"No!" The sight of her grandfather and Reñe's dad fighting had caused a crack in the wall controlling her telepathy. In a matter of seconds the five-year-old learned what she had needed to know. Tears ran down her flushed cheeks. "Allez au diable!(Damn you!)" Her burst of anger made the two men fall to the ground. Minty ran out without another word.

Both men had seen and heard the hurt from Minty, thus them stating, "Shit!"

"Got it," Reñe declared, leaving the adults to clean up the huge mess.

Minty had gone to the one place she hated to be: the green house. She sneezed into her sleeve several times before giving up and just continuing uncovered. During a brief reprieve, Minty wiped away her tears.

"Ya should come here. Dere ain't as much pollen." He sneezed, bringing a slight smile to Minty's face.

She sat next to him. "How'd ya find me?"

"Knew no one'd check here 'til Stormy, but ah wanna see if ma petite soeur was alright."

The girl's face grew red with anger. "You knew? You lied ta me-"

"Ah thought you might be. Tante Mattie tol' me some folks gotta pull an' it can be a relative thing."

"But ya maman died. Ah saw th' picture an' they don't look the same."

"Ah dunno know. Ah do know dat

maman woulda had another bébé an' you de right age."

She wiped her eyes after a fit of sneezing. "An' mah grandpa? He ain't really."

"Don't think so." He gave her a hug. "C'mon, tomorrow's here an' we gonna have a tough one." She nodded and took his hand. When they returned to the room Reñe tucked Minty into bed and did the same for himself. He waited until she was asleep and threw an arm over her protectively.

While the children were talking, so were the adults. Logan, Remy, and Xavier he'd relocated to the office for privacy. Gambit was charging and flicking cards into the wastebasket much to the irritation of Wolverine, who was very close to starting the next fight. "Enough, both of you. Logan, explain yourself."

It took nearly an hour before he'd finished telling them everything that happened from the time he found Rogue in the warehouse up to when Minty started to lose control of her powers. Remy had become eerily quiet after Logan's description of his wife's state when she was found. As angry as he was, he didn't know if he would have been able to do anything remotely sensible. However, it removed any doubt of Belladonna's involvement.

"Ya ever gonna tell 'em?"

"No."

Before the Cajun respond, Xavier stated, "Fighting will get you nowhere. Logan, get ahold of her in the morning. We will tell her everything once she arrives here. Remy?"

"Yeah."

"You know what to do."

He got up without another word, slipping quietly into his children's room. There was a brief moment of panic when he didn't see the girl in the top bunk. Reñe groaned and it became apparent that Minty was kicking him in her sleep. Remy separated them, hugging the girl tightly before placing her on the other bed. He sat down at his son's desk, excited and terrified at the realization that his wife was alive.

Muir Island…

She wiped the tears from her eyes as she woke up. The dream was always the same, the small boy was snuggling close to her. When she reached down to tousle the boy's hair he looked up at her with the most beautiful red on black eyes she'd ever seen. As he was about to say something, when her mind almost remembered, she'd awaken.

She swung her legs out of the bed and ran her fingers through her hair. "That dream again?"

"Yeah. It's been comin' back fierce since ah've been away from Minty." She shook her head before looking at Warren. "Ah think ah need to go."

"Carol-Ann, you know that the doctor can help you. She wants to make sure-"

"Ah need to do this on mah own. Ah don't just feel like ah need to, ah have to." She moved over to her dresser to change and pack.

"He's still under your skin," he muttered.

Carol-Ann whirled to face Warren. "What did you say?"

"It's nothing."

"Warren, you said 'he's still under your skin', right?" The realization hit her like a blow to the stomach. "You do know me. You know who ah was before." Carol-Ann's face was flushed in anger. "You didn't even think it was strange that the boy had strange eyes. What the hell are you keeping from me?" He moved closer to touch her shoulder and she pushed him away. Then something in her mind snapped.

"Are you alright, C-"

"The one you know as Carol-Ann or Rogue has gone to sleep. I am Carol Danvers." She slipped on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. "We are not your concern anymore. Scores must be settled."

"Rogue, wait!" Warren tried to stop her, but she was already a distant spot in the sky. Suddenly the phone rang.


End file.
